Survey finds 30% of UK manufacturers faced cyber incidents in past year
A Make UK survey found that 30% of British manufacturers experienced a cyber incident affecting their own operations or supply chains in the previous 12 months, while only half had a response plan.
In short
- A Make UK survey found that 30% of British manufacturers experienced a cyber incident affecting their own operations or supply chains in the previous 12 months, while only half had a response plan.
Nearly one in three British manufacturers surveyed experienced a cyber incident affecting either their own business or a supplier during the previous 12 months, highlighting the operational risks created by increasingly connected factories.
The survey by manufacturing lobby group Make UK found that 30% of respondents had encountered an incident, while only half had a plan for responding to an attack. The findings were reported on August 10, 2026.
Among companies affected through their supply chains, about 30% of the 123 manufacturers surveyed reported delayed customer deliveries or reduced output. Almost a quarter reported supplier delays or shortages of components and materials.
The report comes almost a year after a cyberattack forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut systems across factories, offices and retail operations. The independent Cyber Monitoring Centre estimated that incident cost the UK economy at least £1.9 billion, largely through lost production at JLR and its suppliers.
Manufacturers have connected more factory systems to improve efficiency and gain faster operational data. That integration can also increase the potential damage when attackers gain access.
Jonathon Ellison, director of national resilience at the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, said manufacturers should treat cybersecurity as a business-critical priority. The centre was involved in the response to the JLR attack.
